Ford Stops Parisyan on Third-Round Cut

Karo
Parisyan (file photo) has lost two in a row. | Photo:
Sherdog.com

Canadian welterweight Ryan Ford
stopped UFC veteran Karo
Parisyan on a third-round cut in the
MMA Live 1 headliner on Thursday at the John Labatt Centre in
London, Ontario, Canada. A knee strike resulted in the damage,
which forced the doctor to intervene 1:26 into round three.

Parisyan (19-7, 1 NC) -- whose most recent appearance came in a
technical knockout loss to Dennis
Hallman at UFC 123 in November -- had not lost back-to-back
fights in more than a decade.

The bout appeared to be leaning towards Parisyan in rounds one
and two, as he scored with takedowns and throws. A judo black belt,
the 28-year-old Gokor
Chivichyan protégé largely neutralized Ford’s strength and
athleticism. The knee strike, however, turned the tide in the
Canadian’s favor, as it split open Parisyan and forced the
stoppage.

A former WEC welterweight champion, Parisyan has seen his career
undercut by painkiller abuse and a well-documented anxiety
disorder. The 29-year-old Ford (15-3) has won three in a row and
seven of his past eight bouts.